ANASTASIA TAKES OVER COOKING WITH CLORIS FOR THE DAY

Sometimes necessity is the mother of invention, especially when you’re sorely in need of a trip to the supermarket. The other day I found myself alone for dinner after a long day at work. I was too hot and tired to cook and not up to tackling the rush hour supermarket lines. So I grabbed the assorted dregs from the fridge and wound up with a rather tasty meal. Cloris was quite proud of me. She’s always telling me to keep an open mind when it comes to salads. Here’s what I came up with. -- AP

ANASTASIA’S REFRIGERATOR ODDS & ENDS SALAD
(serves 1, multiply ingredients for more)

Ingredients:

1 cup baby spinach

1 hardboiled egg, sliced

1 small ripe avocado, cut into chunks

1 slice extra sharp cheddar cheese, torn into bite size pieces

1/2 cup blueberries

2 teaspoons Italian vinaigrette (or whatever salad dressing you have on hand)

Plate the spinach. Arrange the egg slices around the spinach. Add the avocado, cheese, and blueberries. Sprinkle dressing over salad.

Serve with croutons or crackers if you can find any in the pantry.

The beauty of this salad is that you can make all sorts of substitutions and still have a great meal. No spinach? Use lettuce. No blueberries? Use sliced strawberries, chopped apple, or dried fruit. No avocado? Add a can of artichoke hearts. No cheddar? Use any other cheese. So what kinds of odds & ends salads have you made? Post a comment for a chance to win a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP